Since I haven’t worn a creme in a few manis, and to wrap up my trying of this collection, I’m wearing China Glaze Westside Warrior (Metro, Fall 2011), an olive-army green creme:

Picture taken in weak sunlight. This applied well and was nicely pigmented; I got full coverage in two coats, with some touching up. I have a few olive polishes, but this one stands apart for being more green-toned, as opposed to yellow or brown. It’s a dark shade, but not blackened. The overall green tone also makes me look at this as an army green, though it doesn’t have the same dusty khaki appearance as the other army greens I’ve tried. The smooth, pigmented formula makes the finish look so rich and creamy. Suddenly I’m wanting a martini… 😉 I paired this with Color Club Uptown Girl on my toes.

Now that the clocks have turned back and the weather keeps getting colder, it really, really feels like autumn. This fall color palette kick I’m on is perfect right now. China Glaze Urban-Night (Metro, Fall 2011) is a dark eggplant purple creme:

Picture taken in sunlight. (The sunlight has brought out the base color; this looks deeper and vampier in person.) This applied smoothly, though it looked streaky on the first coat. I did some slight filling in of bald spots and a thick second coat for full, even coverage. It’s definitely a warm purple, but doesn’t look too red (probably helped by how deep a shade it is.) Both the color and finish have an incredibly rich and creamy appearance. It’s also a great vampy shade , and although it’s deep and dark it always looks purple. I paired this with Orly Prince Charming on my toes.

I’m changing up my color palette for November and shifting to more earthy tones. I’m starting with the stunner that is China Glaze Midtown Magic (Metro, Fall 2011), a deep brown with red and golden shimmer:

Picture taken in sunlight. This applied well, though after the first coat I had major bald spots. I did some touch-ups and filled them in, and I ended up only having to do two “full” coats (but this is essentially a three-coater.) In the bottle, this changes colors in different lighting conditions, but the effect doesn’t translate to the nail. When I hold the bottle up against the light, it looks like a deep, smoky purple. When I look at the bottle out of direct light, it can look like a dark, swampy olive. But on the nail, it’s a rich dark brown. I’ve heard this described as a deep plum but I just don’t see it. Even from the first coat it looks brown to me. I don’t typically associate browns with vampiness, but this is so dark that it does look vampy. Since the shimmer rests in such a dark base, it creates that glowing embers effect. Of course, when the sun hits it, it lights up and sparkles beautifully. The red and gold play so well with the brown, making the overall finish even more rich and velvety. I paired this with OPI Warm & Fozzie on my toes.

For my last grey I have on something that’s a pretty accurate color depiction of what it looks like outside right now. China Glaze Concrete Catwalk (Metro, Fall 2011) is a dark asphalt grey creme:

Picture taken in (barely any) natural light. This applied well; I got full coverage in two coats. The formula wasn’t of the totally solid, creamy variety, though, so watch out for cuticle drag. I love this color! It’s taken over Sephora by OPI Break a Leg Warmer! as the darkest grey creme I own. There’s something that’s so chic about it, plus it’s really flattering. Although I’d label it a cool grey, it doesn’t seem to be obviously blue-toned, though it still has that industrial look. I like the alliteration in the name, but this makes me think more of asphalt than concrete. I paired this with Color Club Gossip Column on my toes.

I’m posting this a little late but this is my NOTD from a couple of days ago. I had originally planned to wear this last weekend, before I got sidetracked by this. China Glaze CG in the City (Metro, Fall 2011) is a mix of smoky purple, gunmetal and silver glitter in a clear base:

Picture taken in natural light. (There was absolutely no good sunlight that day, but this looks amazing in the sun.) The first coat goes on pretty sheer, but it definitely builds to opacity. The formula gets thicker as you continue to work with it. I used three coats with some minor touchups. Since the glitter is fine, one coat of topcoat leaves the surface very smooth. I love this interesting mix! It doesn’t look the same all the time; in low light it seems like more of a straight-up gunmetal grey, but in bright light the purple tones are very apparent. The silver adds a nice contrast to the darkness of the gunmetal-purple. I can definitely call this unique in my collection! I paired this with Milani Dot Com on my toes.

Most of the time I wear polishes I consider gorgeous or pretty, but once in a while I come across an “ugly-pretty” color that’s too intriguing to pass up. I didn’t own this yet at this point last year, so I’m trying it this fall as my first new mani of the season. China Glaze Trendsetter (Metro, Fall 2011) is a dirty dijon-avocado with gold shimmer:

Picture taken in sunlight. This was nicely pigmented and applied well in two coats. Based on how this looked in the bottle I was ready to call this a yellow, but now that I have it on my nails I’m more inclined to call it a green; it’s both colors at the same time. I think the gold shimmer really makes this polish. It’s the flat, irregular kind that’s packed into a cream base. It may be because it pushes the polish closer to the “pretty” side, but the shimmer gives the finish some much-needed dimension. I don’t think I would have gone for this if it was just a creme, but at the same time I love the color. I think it’s edgy but so retro at the same time; it reminds me of ’70s kitchen decor! I paired this with Essie Smokin’ Hot on my toes.

After so many weeks of brights I’m switching to a more fall-like color palette, plus it doesn’t hurt to go through even more untrieds. China Glaze City Siren (Metro, Fall 2011) is a deep, blue-based blood red creme:

Picture taken in sunlight. (Please pardon the topcoat bubbles!) This was very pigmented and applied smoothly. It provides pretty solid, even coverage in one coat, so you could get away with just one, but I used two anyway. This shade of red red strikes me as being particularly “fall.” It’s not clean and bright like the pin-up reds are, nor does it look quite like the typical Dita Von Teese-esque blue-based red. It may have something to do with the opacity of the formula, but I think there’s just the slightest hint of brown in addition to the overall blue tone, because it does look a little blood red to me. I always love a red creme, and this one looks so seductive. 😉 I paired this with Essie Going Incognito on my toes.

To take me through the final weekend of the US Open I’m wearing a blue that looks like the color of Novak Djokovic’s kit, and of course I’m hoping that he’ll defend his title. China Glaze Skyscraper (Metro, Fall 2011) is a midnight blue jelly packed with silver and blue glitter:

Picture taken in sunlight. This applied pretty well, though the jelly base is a bit sheer so I needed three coats to ensure complete, opaque coverage. It’s best to wait a minute in between coats to avoid cuticle drag. This may not be one of those glitterbomb-type glitters (so one coat of topcoat does make the finish smooth), but it still sparkles like crazy! The base is a deep midnight blue, so the silver glitter really stands out, and the blue glitter makes the finish look more interesting and dimensional. I absolutely love this color and glitter combination; this “night sky” look is amazingly gorgeous. It’s like Midnight Mission on steroids. I paired this with Chanel Gondola on my toes.